Friday, October 19, 2012

The commander of U.S. Forces Japan imposed a night curfew on military personnel on Oct. 19 after two U.S. servicemen were arrested on suspicion of raping a Japanese woman on the southern island of Okinawa.

The arrests come at a time when public opinion in Okinawa is at odds with Tokyo for allowing the U.S. deployment of Osprey hybrid aircraft on the island despite lingering concerns about their safety.

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Friction over U.S. bases on Okinawa intensified after the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old Japanese schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen. The case sparked widespread protests by Okinawans, who had long resented the American presence due to crime, noise and deadly accidents.